Should the AIN-93 rodent diet formulas be revised?

Authors: KLURFELD, DAVID - US Department Of Agriculture (USDA); GREGORY, JESSE - University Of Florida; FIOROTTO, MARTA - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)

Submitted to: Journal of Nutrition
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/2/2021
Publication Date: 3/10/2021
Citation: Klurfeld, D.M., Gregory, J.F., Fiorotto, M.L. 2021. Should the AIN-93 rodent diet formulas be revised?. Journal of Nutrition. 151(6):1380-1382. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/nxab041.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/nxab041

Interpretive Summary: Nutrition studies performed with rodents require exact knowledge of the nutrient composition of the diet which should also be designed to ensure optimal growth and physiological functions even when used long term. Use of such a diet also allows studies to give reproducible results when repeated among different researchers and over time. To address this need, in 1976 nutrition scientist developed a diet (known as AIN76) comprised of purified ingredients. This was modified in 1979 (AIN76a) and again in 1993 (AIN93) because some problems became evident as the diet was more widely used. Since that time, there has been no further change in its composition. However, over 30 years we have learned a lot more about nutrition, animal husbandry practices have changed, and some of the ingredients have also changed. In this paper the authors review some possible shortcomings of AIN93 and are are addressing the nutrition scientist community to establish if there is concurrence for a revision to the diet.

Technical Abstract: Nutrition studies performed with rodents require exact knowledge of the nutrient composition of the diet which should also be designed to ensure optimal growth and physiological functions even when used long term. Use of such a diet also allows studies to give reproducible results when repeated among different researchers and over time. To address this need, in 1976 nutrition scientist developed a diet (known as AIN76) comprised of purified ingredients. This was modified in 1979 (AIN76a) and again in 1993 (AIN93) because some problems became evident as the diet was more widely used. Since that time, there has been no further change in its composition. However, over 30 years we have learned a lot more about nutrition, animal husbandry practices have changed, and some of the ingredients have also changed. In this paper the authors review some possible shortcomings of AIN93 and are are addressing the nutrition scientist community to establish if there is concurrence for a revision to the diet.